CORDELL BANK: Blue Water Oasis SCRIPT

NOAA/National Marine Sanctuary logo VIDEO/MUSIC DIALOGUE Music and underwater breathing to build Jack Marshall: When we first arrived at suspense and tension the Bank // having never dove there before, I had no clue as to what was underneath me. // Diver’s view of underwater bubbles. We’re sliding on down into deep dark blue. // 3 minutes maybe// and wondering Schools of where’s the bottom? And then pretty soon And more fish we start to see an outline of fish. And we get down a little farther and there are absolutely incredible schools of fish. // millions of fish.

Jack Marshall OC It is so hard to describe. I wanted to scream. I wanted to yell. I wanted to do something, but I didn’t want to spit my regulator out of my mouth either.

Schools of fish Jack Marshall: Unbelievable. // Just fell in Label: on screen: Jack Marshall: Cordell love with the place. Absolutely fell in love Expeditions Diver with it.

Super Title : Cordell Bank: Blue Water Oasis

San Francisco life- Start with the hustle and bustle on the Trolley, Golden Gate Bridge trolley Narration: Not far from the hustle and bustle of the big city hidden from coastal views nearly 20 miles Cargo Ship heads out to sea west of Point Reyes lighthouse, lies an Point Reyes Lighthouse aerial underwater oasis that has only recently Pacific open water aerial been explored . . .

On Cordell Bank boat it’s name is Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary. (this should be over the boat section)

Getting here isn’t easy. And for scientists Dan Howard it poses a host of challenges. Superintendent Dan Howard: Cordell Bank is a very difficult place to study because of the off shore nature of the site.

And our in this area is typically really rough. So we have a couple months a year, typically September and October, when we can get out there and study the off shore environment. //

On Delta Boat, see Dan board Dan Howard: All of this combines to make DELTA Submersible studying Cordell Bank a pretty challenging adventure.

Narration: For scientists like Dan Howard, the rewards of working at Cordell Bank far out weigh the obstacles

Delta POV- underwater descent Dan Howard: The thrill of going down in one of these manned-submersibles and exploring Cordell Bank is unique every single time that you go there. For instance, in 2001 our first exploration, the top of the Rockfish Bank was absolutely covered with juvenile rockfish. Young-a year rockfish;

Rockfish tens of thousands of young-a year rockfish. The next year we went down expecting to see all the young-a year rockfish very few young-a year rockfish, but we were surprised to see Giant Pacific Octopus all Octopus over the reef going through mating behaviors that was absolutely unbelievable. The following year we went down

expecting to see the octopus. Low and behold what did we come upon, hundreds Humboldt Squid of Humboldt Squid. All over the deeper reaches of the Bank.

Dan Howard OC So we are coming to realize that Cordell Bank is just this phenomenally, dynamic area. We never know what we are going to see. We are always fascinated with the biological surprises that we see year after year exploring the Bank.

Animation of the Bathymetry Narration: Cordell Bank is perched on the and the California Current continental shelf.

Its western edge plummets more than a mile.

This 4x9 mile rocky oasis rises up from the seafloor—and at its highest point reaches to within 115 feet of the surface.

The rich California Current washes over the Bank, continuously supplying nutrients to the bounty of life here.

This same current bathes the nearby Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary [20] miles to the south.

Animation of Cordell Bank plate tectonics shifting A favorite haunt among sealions and elephant seals, these craggy peaks mark one of the world’s foremost destinations for white .

Farallon Islands- aerials The islands also boast the largest concentration of breeding sea birds in the entire continental United States,

great white sealions, elephant seals

Seabirds take flight

Farallon Island Aerial Open water Aerial

Gold Rush footage and Period Music Narration: While the first documented discovery of the Farallons was in the 1500s, Historic Maritime images (these are due to be replaced) Cordell Bank was formally discovered during the California Goldrush when the US Coast survey undertook a series of offshore expeditions.

Portrait of George Davidson During one expedition, the ship of expert hydrographer, George Davidson, became mired in a dense fog. Dropping a lead line to determine his Historic Maritime/fog images position, he found a shocking surprise. His depth registered a mere 30 fathoms (or 180 feet) half the depth he expected. He made a vow to return and conduct a proper survey.

That survey, however, would fall to notice to mariners another man, Edward Cordell . . . .several years later.

The Bank would later bear his name.

Old film of CB Expeditions Narration: It was not until 1978, more

On boat in Pacific Ocean than 100 years after its discovery that the first humans actually saw Cordell Bank for themselves.

Bob Schmieder: After talking with quite a few people and finding out that this place was really unknown,

Bob Schmieder I made a personal decision to try and go Founder of Cordell Expeditions there and learn something about it. And so I pulled a team together, a group of people who also wanted to do this. We worked for over a year before we succeeded in making our first dive.

Old film – boat in open ocean Bob Schmieder: We didn’t have any good survey data and so we had trouble even finding Cordell Bank. // We were guided there as Edward Cordell was guided there, by birds sitting on the water // and sure enough we found a place that measured about 120 feet deep.

Old film- diver jumps into water Narration:Along with Schmieder was veteran diver Jack Marshall

Jack Marshall:

Jack Marshall There were no landmarks anywhere. And I am wondering, is this boat going to be here when I get back from underwater. I swam over to the buoy, grab a hold to the line, put my mask on, and I poke my head under the water to take a look

Old film- diver descent Jack Marshall: and all I see is this yellow rope going down about 100 feet. That is all I could see is it just disappearing into the blue. STOP JACK there Diver bubbles

Schools and schools of fish

Old film- reveal the Bank Bob Schmieder: And suddenly they parted and we could see, almost if you like, horizon to horizon this beautiful landscape. // And the thing that struck us most was the Colors of the Bank red colors at these great depths. At 120, 130, 140 feet

Old film- underwater life and divers Jack Marshall: Every rock was covered with marine creatures and all kinds of colors, in yellows, in reds. The fish are darting in and out of all the rocks. // It’s almost indescribable. To do a dive on, what has to be, one of the most beautiful dive sites in the world.

Jack Marshall

Old film- return to boat after dive Narration: In recognition of its unique qualities, Cordell Bank became a National Marine Sanctuary in 1989.

Watched over by the National Oceanic and Map of National Marine Sanctuaries Atmospheric Administration, NOAA, Somehow we need to pan a little quicker so Cordell Bank is one of 13 national marine that all the sanctuaries and monument can sanctuaries and one marine national be seen in this shot, it’s a little slow right monument. now. Go to Cordell Chart These vital sanctuaries work to conserve, Put full mission statement at the end of the protect and enhance the nation’s marine film. protected areas.

Sanctuary research boat- Narration: Today the exploration Deploy PHANTOM ROV continues and a new generation of explorers are recognizing the significance and beauty of this place.

ROV underwater footage- bottom of Bank Dan Howard: We’ve used things like remotely operated vehicles, ROVs, and Manned Submersibles to explore the mid and bottom parts of the bank which is anywhere between 180 to 280 feet.

Narration: Layers of life have colonized, crumbled and coalesced adding to the foundation of the Bank.

ROV underwater footage- top of Bank And atop this rocky necropolis, new life has sprung.

Basket star (deep) , muddy sediment, spot prawn, From like sponges and sea stars, to rockfish, dark Need tight shot of sponge crabs and curious octopus and sea stars (ghostly even)

• Close up of crabs atop coral atop sponges etc. • Lingcod Giant Pacific Octopus nearly every major group of is represented on this isolated oasis. • 6 shark- moving around on the bottom, curious

• Sandy waved channel Mola footage here • Close ups of sand and biogenic material

• Krill swarming around the sub Space to live can be a limiting factor with • Close ups of large fish, juvenile fish, and each organism fighting for its foothold in invertebrates, beautiful shots of these the current. critters at depth. shots of critters getting knocked off

footage: dramatic whale blow Stacked living, can sometimes offer the best . . .or only solution for survival.

And with this bustling crowd of life, even more visitors are attracted to the party

Blue Whale blow Narration: From the far reaches of the Pacific, Cordell is a migratory destination Rissos Dolphins for a myriad of sea life.

Pacific White sided dolphins Dan Howard: Cordell Bank not only provides a home for rockfish and seastars it also is a feeding destination for a variety of migratory animals,

Like // blue whales from Costa Rica, leatherback sea turtles // and // black- Black-footed Albatross footed albatross from the Hawaiian Islands, // all of these animals come to Leatherback Sea Turtle Cordell Bank to feed on the rich bounty that thrives in the area.” Humpback whales blow and fluke Narration: Above and below the waves, Humpback whale cow/calf underwater life of all shapes and sizes is attracted to these rich feeding grounds. And for millennia, it was only the creatures of the sea who bore witness to this secret bounty.

John Calambokidis on tagging boat Narration: John Calambokidis, a world authority on blue and humpback whales, has been studying this Pacific population for years

Calambokidis and his team have

photographed over 1500 whales, Photos of Whale Fluke Shots identifying individuals from their unique tail fluke and back markings.

John Calambokidis Both Humpback and Blue Whales // range widely along the west coast. // But there are

John Calambokidis a few key areas that we’ve found where Whale Researcher they regularly go to feed. These are productive areas where there is upwelling. In the case of blue whales, there are lots of krill. In the case of humpback, there’s either krill or fish.

Humpback Whales and Blue Whales John Calambokidis: Cordell Bank, especially in the fall months, we see spectacular concentrations of Humpback and Blue Whales in some years.

John Calambokidis

Humpback footage

Narration: There is still much to learn about Cordell Bank, and many more species yet to be discovered. Underwater beauty (schooling fish over Cordell Bank reef, blue water) And while this oasis may seem far removed from civilization, its inhabitants lie at the mercy of our everyday actions. Its vital we stay mindful of how our daily habits can influence the life here . . . and farther out to sea.

Most of us may never see Cordell Bank with our own eyes but knowing that these rainbowed reefs exist -- perched on the edge of the Western world -- sets fire to the Sunset over coastal beach imagination.

Sunset over open water with Risso’s dolphin And inspires the explorer in each of us.

Dolpins in ocean at sunset For more information about Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary please visit our website.

Rolling Credits